From Trenton to MidJersey, we're at a new Frontier'

From what I understand — and mind you, I’m a transplant ‘round these parts — it used to go something like this: New York, Trenton, Philadelphia. Meaning, there was a “there” here. From shopping to culture to business to everything in between, Trenton was a destination.

Of course, times change.

Today, while Trenton and it’s environs are still on the map, our area has lost it’s “there.” It’s New York-Philadelphia, end of story. You either identify with one end of the spectrum or the other.

But again: Times change.

The seeds are being planted to once again have a “there” here. I wrote about this a few months back, about the seemingly at-first blush pointless decision to change the name of the Mercer County Chamber of Commerce to the MidJersey Chamber of Commerce.

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As it turns out, not so pointless. Not only has the chamber been attracting businesses from all over the “MidJersey” region — which includes Mercer, obviously, and as MidJersey CEO Bob Prunetti told me at the time, “western Monmouth, southern Middlesex, parts of Bucks, northern Burlington, south Hunterdon …” — but it’s also been the first step in getting that “there” here again. If the chamber is successful in getting word out about their brand change — and all indications from Prunetti indicate that they are — then we’re well on our way to developing a regional identity where one didn’t exist before.

And now, seemingly out of nowhere, another major piece of the regional puzzle is locking into place.

MidJersey, meet Frontier.

At this point, we’re probably all aware of Frontier Airlines. They started flying out of Trenton-Mercer in the autumn with flights to Orlando. And now, barely a few months later, the airline pulled up stakes in Philadelphia and moved their East Coast operations to our little corner of the world. And by the time spring rolls around, the airline will be flying not only to Orlando, but also to Fort Myers, Fort Lauderdale, Tampa, New Orleans, Atlanta, Chicago, Columbus, Raleigh-Durham and Detroit.

All of a sudden, we’re a hub.

And no one could be happier than Prunetti.

“As you know, I’ve been a cheerleader for this for years,” he told me.

I do know. My time here in MidJersey goes back to 1999, when I started at The Trentonian and was assigned county government as part of my job. I got to know Prunetti — then county executive — both personally and professionally. And never did I see him more exasperated than when trying to turn our airport into a hub, specifically for Southwest. That airline wanted to come here, but they wanted — needed — the airport to expand.

There was pushback. Civic groups, the county freeholders, homeowners. A lot of pushback. And the pushback resulted in numerous delays that kept the project on hold. Eventually, Southwest pulled out and set up shop in Philly, and with it, Prunetti’s dream of the airport was left on the tarmac.

But today? Did someone mention that “times change” up there somewhere?

“The political landscape is different,” Prunetti said. “And so are the economics. We’re at a time now where we’re all searching for that economic silver bullet, and this puts us in a great position. I commend Brian Hughes and his administration for moving in this direction. They’ve seen this opportunity and are moving full steam ahead.”

And “full steam ahead” will almost certainly mean a new terminal at some point down the road if Frontier succeeds in their new home.

“The stars are aligning,” Prunetti said. “This is a great opportunity.”

So what happens from here? Too soon to tell. But why not gaze into the crystal ball …

Frontier is successful … they commit to making Trenton-Mercer it’s home … a new terminal is built … the old GM and Navy sites in Ewing become part of the new airport plan, with commercial development at the sites … Frontier further expands their flight offerings (they currently fly to 74 different destinations) … businesses flock to the area … more jobs … and on and on from there.

Too rosy a future? Well, maybe. But there’s no denying having a full-service airport in our backyard has tremendous potential to be a tremendous economic engine.

“If coordinated right, this area would become a commercial and transportation hub for New Jersey,” Prunetti said.

So for real: Picture this area in a generation or two. Our kids, proudly calling “MidJersey” home with a full-service airport serving over four million people in our 30-mile radius. It would be New York, MidJersey, Philadelphia. There’s going to be a “there” here again, and it’s gelling right before our eyes.